Business & Tech

Joules to open four new stores following collapse into administration

Joules is stepping up its return to physical retail with plans to open four new stores across the UK, four years after it collapsed into administration.

Poundland co-founder warns shoplifting is pushing up prices and threatening stores

Poundland co-founder Steve Smith has warned that soaring levels of shoplifting are pushing up prices for shoppers and could lead to further store closures across the UK.

Bristol becomes first UK city to ban fast fashion ads

Bristol has become the first UK city to impose a ban on the advertising of fast fashion, as part of wider restrictions on ads for polluting industries. The council’s strategy and resources committee voted eight to one to approve an updated advertising and sponsorship policy.

Reaction as Bank of England holds interest rates at 3.75%

The Bank of England has held interest rates at 3.75% today (17 September) despite inflation rising to 3.1% in August. Six members of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted in favour of the hold, with the other three members recommending a 0.25% increase to

Omarchy gains $18.5M in backing, fresh converts – and fierce critics

DHH's Arch-based desktop becomes the latest front in FOSS's culture wars

Nearly half of £1m-plus advised clients turn to AI for financial help

Almost half of advised clients with more than £1m in investable assets have used artificial intelligence for financial support, according to research from Boring Money. Its Advised Investor Report 2026 found 44% had used AI alongside their adviser relationship.

Ofcom discovers issuing Online Safety Act fines is easier than collecting them

Platforms comply just enough to avoid being blocked, leaving the regulator chasing debt

Government Digital Service move 'grinds gears' in UK's e-government

As team responsible for tech strategy shunted to third department in three years, experts fear exodus of talent

Retirees rethink wealth transfer plans as policy change reshapes behaviour

UK retirees are increasingly choosing to pass on wealth during their lifetime, with spending on gifts to family and education support now accounting for one in every six pounds retirees spend, according to new research published by Quilter.

Judge orders Microsoft to spill internal docs and scour execs' comms in secondhand licensing case

Yes, the 'Secondhand Software Presentation' does sound like it might be an adverse document...

One in five advisers exclude beneficiaries from annual reviews

More than one in five financial advisers do not involve beneficiaries in annual client reviews, raising concerns over how prepared firms are for the transfer of wealth between generations.

Dean Proctor: Running the UK like a business? This is what I would do

Recently, a colleague and I were discussing the daunting job new(ish) prime minister Andy Burnham has cut out for him. Needless to say, neither of us envied the situation he had inherited. He arrived at Downing Street with an unenviable in-tray including a housing market

Fujitsu ready to sell its custom ‘Monaka’ Arm chip, maybe to rival server-makers

Clouds, the sovereign-sensitive, and the inferencing-interested are also about to get sales calls

Swift 6.4 unifies building across Linux, macOS, Windows

Swift Build is now the default engine for the Swift Package Manager

MM Meets… Anthony Carty: ‘You can’t have your cake and eat it’

OpenAI admits its agents went off the rails another six times

Startup says it’s learned from these mistakes and that they shouldn’t happen again … which is just what Zuck has said about 100 times

Debenhams Group cuts debt as ‘strong’ turnaround gathers pace

Debenhams Group has reported accelerated growth through the first half of FY27, with adjusted EBITDA soaring 13.9 per cent to £24m.

If a Mac mini is agentic overkill, try this glowing pyramid that runs personal bots

'Intern 2' offers an isolated environment and cloudy inference to automate your world

Co-op adds six new Peacocks and Bonmarché concessions

Value fashion retailers Peacocks and Bonmarché are opening six new concessions inside Co-op stores this month, taking the number of ‘store within a store’ locations operated by the two retailers to 20.

Cotswold Company expands reach through M&S partnership

The Cotswold Company has expanded its omnichannel reach through a new partnership with Marks & Spencer, launching a curated selection of its handcrafted furniture on M&S.com.

New Balance sues Decathlon over alleged shoe logo infringement

New Balance has launched legal action against Decathlon, accusing it of infringing its trademark with a logo used on its Kiprun running shoes.

Next hikes profit forecast for fourth time despite UK sales slowdown

Next has raised its full-year profit forecast for the fourth time this year, despite expecting growth in its UK business to lose momentum. It now expects pre-tax profit of £1.255bn for the year to January 2027, up £12m on its previous forecast and 8.4 per cent ahead of last year.

The Entertainer plots major ecommerce overhaul with AI-powered shopping tools

The Entertainer has confirmed that it is developing a new digital platform, set to launch in spring 2027, which will introduce AI-powered shopping assistance, conversational product discovery and improved search.

Amex launches business savings account

American Express has launched a business high-yield savings account designed to help users earn more on their deposits and manage their finances in one place.

After securing Colombian banking licence, Revolut applies for another in Switzerland

Revolut continues its global expansion, securing a bank licence in Colombia and applying for another in Switzerland.

eBay invests up to £200,000 to back UK’s next entrepreneurs

After securing Colombian banking licence, Revolt applies for another in Switzerland

Revolut continues its global expansion, securing a bank licence in Colombia and applying for another in Switzerland.

Zopa rolls out personal banking agent

UK bank Zopa is rolling out a conversational AI to current account customers, billing it as an 'always-on personal banker'.

Matalan plots 45,000sq ft Northern Ireland flagship as it ramps up expansion

Matalan has confirmed plans to open a new 45,000sq ft flagship store in Northern Ireland. The company has lodged a planning application for a new store at Bridgewater Retail Park in Banbridge, which would create 47 full and part-time jobs if approved.